Further Proof As To How Awesome I Am

Thursday and today went GREAT. I was nervous for nothing. North Star Middle School is great, the staff is great, and the kids were absolutely a total blast. I wasn't sure how well I would do with 6th grade, because even though I have tutored every grade level through the America Reads/America Counts program during four of my college years, I have never had a whole classroom on my own before. My primary experience has been with K-2 grades, but it was nothing, it was just great. These couple days did, however, cement my opinion that I do prefer to teach the younger grades. While subbing for older grades is something I enjoy, I would not want to teach it full time. It's a lot different - when Kindergarteners are off-task, it is usually because they are unsure of what to do or need help completing something. When 6th graders are off-task, they are doing it just because. I was supposed to have two periods of plan time yesterday, but instead they then asked me to cover an 8th grade woodshop class because the original sub didn't come in for some reason or another. Yeah right, me in a woodshop class. Luckily, the kids (all boys except one, felt kind of bad for the lone girl because none of the guys ever talked to her the whole time I was in their class) were just racing their CO2 cars, so I kept track of the winners and losers bracket. It was actually pretty fun.

But the best part of the day is still to come.

I left NSMS and was on my way out to my car as I checked my voicemail. I had a message from Ann, who works for Kay Byers. If you are an elementary education major and plan to teach in LPS, you sure as hell better know who this woman is. She pretty much decides your future and is in charge of elementary hiring for the district. I have known Kay for about two years now, after I had been a tutor in the America Reads/America Counts program for a year, they asked me to speak at the orientation the following year for incoming freshman. I met Kay then and she said she wanted me to work right away - unfortunately I still had two years of college left! She gave me her card and wanted me to call her when I finally graduated - and I chatted with her again the following year at another orientation I spoke at. After graduation I ended up not submitting an application to LPS because Drake and I had talked about leaving Lincoln after he graduates. That plan may change for me though - Kay REQUESTED an interview with me! She had looked through my sub folder and was impressed (Ann's words, not mine, though I sometimes happen to think I am pretty darn impressive) with what she saw. I was so excited, I called and set up an interview for the end of March. Cross your fingers!

I also got another call to sub on Monday at a different middle school, plus I have next Thursday and Friday at NSMS again. I am so stoked, now that I have the swing of things, this subbing thing is going to be almost as great of a job as when I worked at Burnett.